Fire and Miracles
by nochance
Summary: I always find it interesting the paths that writers don't take. This is one of them.
1. Chapter 1

So it's been a really long time since I've done this. I have several stories that I never finished, a novel I'm working on, and five other stories that won't leave me alone. And yet, this is the one that came out. I had to wait in between 2x21 and 2x22 and this is what happened. These are interconnected drabbles. After about chapter 3, I leave canon behind and make my own. Here goes nothing!

"Give me ten minutes. Please." Lamb didn't stop. He did; however, get interrupted by a text.

_He'll still be guilty of whatever it is in 10 minutes. You could wait and prove you aren't tin in there, or I could add this to harassment lawsuit I'm putting together on the department. Mostly you __?__._

Veronica just waved.

"It seems you have friends in annoying places. We'll just wait right here," Lamb said, and they did. Until the very end of the ceremony too.

"I'll see you later, honey. I have to be on a plane in an hour," Keith Mars said.

"Go get him," Veronica said. As she was walking back to her car, she got a call.

"Hey, V."

"Weevil? You should really use your phone call for a lawyer."

"We both know what good that would do," and they did. Lily's killer had after all just been acquitted. "Just get down here, ok?"

"Ok."

When she walked into the sheriff's department, they led her to the interrogation room instead of the cells. "He insists that you're his legal representation and one of the deputies believed him," Lamb said as he opened the door, "Just make it quick."

"I'm your lawyer now?" she asked, "What's going on?"

"I wanted to thank you. For earlier," he said.

"Lamb's a jerk. I figured whatever you'd done, you had at least earned graduating. Now what exactly is that he thinks you've done?"

"He thinks I killed Thumper."

"This would have all been resolved if you had just waited for me like I told you too."

"I know, but I didn't ask you here for an apology."

"And you didn't kill Thumper, at least not personally, so what gives Weevil?"

"I figured that if I'm gonna spend the rest of my life in jail, there was something I had to do first," he said and then he kissed her. Not for very long, just long enough to make his point.

"Plead down to assault. That's my advice as your lawyer," she said and then ran straight into the door.

"Veronica?"

"Yes, Weevil?"

"Call me Eli." She walked straight out, not even registering the fact that Lamb called her name about a dozen times.


	2. Chapter 2

This chapter takes place during 3X08.  
Someone was following her. She knew it. For some reason she thought the library would be safe or maybe she was being paranoid. She was so focused on escaping her mystery that she ran straight into something solid. "Eli. It's just you," she said as she breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"If you didn't sound so relieved, I'd feel vaguely insulted," he said, his voice teasing, but his eyes filled with concern."I didn't mean it like that. I think someone's following me."

"This about the rape case? I heard that you passed out in the parking lot. I don't care much for Echolls, but it's a good thing he was there.""I'm fine. Really," she said halfheartedly looking up at him.

"You need anything from me?"

"Could you just stand there and look vaguely intimidating for a minute? Just until I know whoever it is gone. It might be nothing. I'm probably just paranoid…"

"It's ok, V. I can't pull off intimidating like I used to, but I should scare some punk college kid," he said, and they just stood there, looking at each other. After longer than she'd care to admit, she realized that he was leaning over her looking at her in a way she had just recently noticed, and she had backed herself against a column.

"Whoever he is, he's probably gone by now. I should go. Thanks, Eli," she said and ran off, feeling strangely breathless.


	3. Chapter 3

This is after 3X11. Logan's a dick. I don't find anything necessarily wrong with Piz except he seems kind of like an afterthought. Therefore I said screw it and wrote this. This is also the last time I reference canon.

Eli Navarro never expected to find a crying Veronica Mars at his door, and he certainly didn't expect what came next.

"Logan slept with Madison Sinclair," she said through sobs. He wasn't sure what to say and he certainly wasn't sure what she was doing here.

"I'm sorry, V, but what are you doing here? Why not talk to your dad, or Wallace, or Mac?"

"I'm not in a talk about my feelings kind of mood. I told them I was fine."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to make love to me, Eli."

"Don't tempt me, V."

"I'm serious."

"And you're in no kind of emotional state to say things like that. Whatever you may think of me, I don't take advantage of emotionally distraught women. My abuela wouldn't allow it. Not to mention, I've done this before."

"You've done what before?"

"Comforted the distraught white girl after her piece of crap boyfriend hurts her. It ends with her running back to him and me being all alone kicking myself because I should have known better," he said. She opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before he could, "Sit. Talk. I'll make you some tea or something," he said as he motioned her inside.

She wanted something stronger than tea and the thought scared her. She took it and told him everything, about the party, about her car, about the drugs, Beaver, Duncan, Logan, everything.

"And Logan knew all of this?"

"I've never told anyone about Duncan thinking he was related to me at the time of the party, but everything else he knew. And now you know why I won't ever forgive him. I can't." She sounded like she believed it. She sounded so sincere that he almost believed her. He wanted to, almost as much as he wanted to put Logan Echolls in an early grave.

"You remember the story I told in your criminology class?"

"About the car?"

"What would you say to Madison Sinclair's car having a little accident?" She looked up at him and she almost smiled.

"I want to say she's not worth it, but you know I'm not that noble.

"If it were me, she'd be in a hole in the ground. I almost want to put Logan in one myself."

"Almost?" she pulled up an eyebrow.

"I have some self-control. Probation can do that to you."

"And as much as I'd love the satisfaction of it, you are the first place they'd look. I don't want you to do that for me."

"There isn't much I wouldn't do for you, V. I think you know that." It felt weird to say it out loud, the underlying current of their relationship.

"I'm not Lily you know," she said in kind as they sat there on his couch, her head resting on his chest, tea finished by now.

"No. I guess you aren't." Veronica managed to be both softer and stronger than Lily ever was.

"Meet me tomorrow," she said, sitting upright now.

"Where exactly? I'm a maintenance guy. I can't afford the Neptune Grand or anything glamorous like that." He stood up and started to pace.

"If you think I care about any of that, then you really haven't been listening," she said, now at eye level.

"The question still stands."

"Camelot Motel. 7:00. If you don't show up, I have a case or two I can work on," she said, stepping closer to him.

"And where is the Sheriff going to think you are?"

"With Mac. I'll handle the details," she said, and she kissed him quickly.

"You aren't fair, you know that?"

"Fair is a weather condition." She smiled as she walked away./p


	4. Chapter 4

This is a T fic and I'm really not that naughty, so use your imagination.

She knew he'd show up. She didn't think she'd ever know what a star felt like: full of heat, like a fire, pulsing out in waves, alive. "I'm going to get some water. You want anything?" She asked as she sauntered to the sink.

"I'm quite sated, actually," he said cocky as he watched.

Then her phone rang."Your dad just called me and asked why you were at the Camelot. I told him you were on a case, so whatever or whoever you're doing in there, you should get out and look case like," Mac said.

"You're hilarious. Thank you," Veronica said and hung up. She turned to Eli as she started grabbing her clothes, "I have to go. My dad knows I'm here. Mac told him I'm on a case, so by the time he gets here I should…"

"Probably be wearing underwear?"

"Something like that, ya. What's the quickest way out of here?"

"Bathroom window."

"Thank you." She barely made it out the window and to her car when Keith, with Logan in tow, showed up. emWhat was Logan doing here? /emShe wondered and then she had a thought. She looked all around her until she found it.

Imagine their collective surprise when she walked up and placed the bug in Logan's hands, "First you have someone follow me and now you bug my car?""I was worried about you, Veronica," Logan said.

"Where the hell do you get off? I'm on a case, and it may have escaped your notice, but I am not your problem anymore. I don't know what you told my dad to get him here, but you leave now." He didn't budge.

"Veronica, if you're on a case, why didn't we pick you up in the parking lot?" Keith asked.

"Because your criminal mastermind here has bad taste in bugs. It obviously doesn't have a good enough range on it. On that note, we should probably continue this three-ring circus somewhere else," Veronica said./

"And why is that?" Logan asked through clenched teeth.

"Because it looks like Eli here was in the middle of something before you interrupted. He's probably got a girl stashed in the closet or the bathroom," Veronica said condescendingly as she pointed out the fact that Eli had only gotten pants on by the time they had opened the door.

"She's probably gotten through the bathroom window by now," Eli said smirking.

"Sorry about that," Veronica said and pulled Keith and Logan away from the door, which Eli then shut.

"The minute you are done with this case, I want you to come home. Tell Mac you'll have to reschedule girl's night for another night," Keith said.

"They probably left in the commotion, but I'll stick around and make sure. I'll meet you home in an hour," she said and walked away, not saying another word to Logan.


	5. Chapter 5

"You're really not going to tell me what happened last night?" Mac asked.

"I told you what happened," Veronica said.

"You know what I mean."

"What she means about what?" Wallace asked.

"Veronica got laid and she won't tell me about it," Mac said.

"Really?"

"I was on a case, Wallace. Don't get too excited," Veronica said.

"I made that up and you know it," Mac said.

"We really should put your phenomenal psychic powers to better use," Veronica said.

"How do you know she had sex anyway?" Wallace asked.

"She has a glow, and it's not a Logan glow," Mac said.

"It's from finally telling Logan Echolls off for the dog he is. It was a sight to behold," Eli says as he walks up to their table./

"And how would you know anything about that?" Wallace asks.

"Didn't she tell you? Her whole three ring circus act took place outside of my hotel room!"

"I'm extremely confused."

"Logan bugged my car, but he has terrible taste in bugs, so it somehow didn't catch the fact that I was in the parking lot. He and my dad showed up guns blazing just in time for me to find it," she turned to Eli, "That reminds me. Did she stay or did she escape out the bathroom window?"

"Bathroom window unfortunately. You really think you're getting somewhere with a girl and then she just splits. Makes a man feel used," his tone joking, but Veronica noticed that it didn't reach his eyes.

"If she knows what good for her, she'll make it up to you," she said.

"I'll leave you to your idle gossip. I gotta go fix one of the classroom heaters."

"See Mac, I have witnesses!" Veronica said after he left.

"If you don't want to tell me, fine. I'll figure it out myself." Veronica just rolled her eyes.

" Don't worry. They'll know eventually. There is one obstacle to be conquered first: Keith Mars


	6. Chapter 6

"One of the perks of secretly hooking up with the maintenance guy is that I do have the keys and know all of the empty rooms," Eli said.  
"It sounds so dirty when you say it like that, and not in a good way," Veronica said.  
"What other way do you wanna say it?"  
"I'm protecting you."  
"Really, chica? That's what you're going with? Who do I need protection from?"  
"My dad."  
"Right."  
"And he has to be the one I tell first. I'm open to suggestions," she said, laying on a desk./p  
"Can't you ask for help discreetly from Mac or Wallace?"  
"Mac knows something's up and I'm not sure Wallace has ever had this problem."  
"Not to mention that he might not be thrilled either."

"I can handle Wallace. He's not the one who worries me."  
"Now doesn't just make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside."  
"Crap. I have class in ten minutes." Veronica jumps up.  
"Saved by the bell."  
"When have you ever known me to give up?  
Veronica Mars, on the case." Eli salutes her as she runs out.


	7. Chapter 7

"Mac. I need help." Veronica grunts in frustration in Mac and Parker's dorm room.

"This is about the mystery lover you won't tell anyone about?" Mac asks.

"Maybe."

"Wait a second. What are we talking about?" Parker asks.

"Remember the night her dad called here?" Mac asks.

"Yes."

"It started then. I'm sure of it."

"You have no proof. And I have witnesses," Veronica said halfheartedly.

"I do remember hearing about this. Your dad, Logan, and the cute maintenance guy, right?" Parker asks. It's so innocent that Mac and Veronica both burst out laughing.

"Parker, is there something you want to share with the class?" Veronica asks.

"What's so funny?" Parker asks.

"Parker you sweet summer child," Mac says, shaking her head.

"What?"

"Do you want to tell her, or should I?" Mac asks Veronica.

"Be my guest. You're hopeless. Both of you. Obviously. I will have to get a solution to my problem elsewhere," Veronica says.

"Veronica," Mac says, enunciating every syllable. Veronica just smiles as she leaves.

She makes her way to Wallace's room. "Boys, I need your help with something."

"And the sky is blue. You do remember that I don't have access to anyone's personal files anymore, right?" Wallace asks.

"Calm down cowboy. I just need your opinion. Yours too, Piz."

"At your service," Piz says.

"This about Mac's war hunt? You really should just give it up. It's obvious to a blind man that you've been seeing someone," Wallace says.

"Not everyone," Piz says.

"Thank you, Piz. If I were, theoretically, seeing someone, then I wouldn't be able to stop said war hunt until I let a certain party become aware of it," Veronica says.

"Could you be more vague?" Wallace asks.

"My dad, ok."

"I don't recall you ever asking your dad's permission before." She hadn't, but this wasn't exactly a standard situation.

"The situation is a little sticky."

"You let your bad boy complex run wild or something?"

"I'm afraid that's what it will look like."

"I could help more if you would tell me more specifics. Are we talking prison time? Are you having sex?" Yes and yes.

"There are no specifics in a theoretical scenario."

"And a lady never tells, right?" Piz says.

"We should know each other well enough by now for you to know I'm not a lady, and I'm certainly not a virgin," Veronica says as she makes intentional eye contact with Piz.

"Then theoretically, just out with it." Veronica raises an eyebrow, "Think of it like ripping off a Band-Aid. Your dad will figure it out eventually and that will be way worse than just telling him. There are some things you can't change about a person, but you can spin them or add if you get in front of it. He'll at least respect your honesty. You are an adult now," Wallace says.

"When did you get so wise?" Veronica asks.

"When my girlfriend turned out to be a working-class single mom from New York."

"Right."

"No snarky comment?" After she doesn't answer, Wallace says, "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"We'll see."

"Hey, honey," Keith Mars says as Veronica walks into the house.

"Hi, dad," Veronica says and braces herself.

"Veronica? You look stressed. What is it?"

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Is this about the guy you've been seeing?" He asks casually.

"What?" All the blood drains from her face.

"It's obvious that you've been seeing someone. You look happy so I won't press." She lets out a breath. "Just answer one question for me."

"Sure."

"How big are the bathroom windows in the Camelot rooms? I've never been in one."

"Person-sized," she says quietly as they look at each other.

"That's what I thought." He turns away and starts making dinner. That's it? That was all of it? No. A storm's coming. It's just not coming to her. When she gets to her room, she sends out the warning flare.

_He knows. I tried to tell him, but he knows. He's calm now, but be warned. An interrogation is coming._

_Don't worry about me. Interrogations are second nature._


	8. Chapter 8

This chapter should have a little bit more meat on it.

Veronica was leaving a class when she could have sworn she saw her father. She didn't get a good enough look to be sure. She did; however, see a friend coming towards her. "You didn't happen to see my dad anywhere, did you?"  
"Just saw him. He said he needed Weevil's help on a case. I directed him to the maintenance office. If he's not there, then somebody'll know where he is. What's the case about?" Wallace answered.

"I'll tell you later. I gotta go," she said. She did in fact know where he was, and she sent a warning. Now she just had to find him.

*********************************************  
Keith Mars got there first. "Hello, Eli."  
"Hello, Sherriff."

"I imagine Veronica probably warned you that I was coming."

"I think the exact text message said 'run.'"

"And yet…"

"You'd never respect me if I ran." Eli said.

"Let's talk. How long have you had feelings for my daughter?"

"I'm not sure I can pinpoint that. It's been a while. I never thought anything would happen, so I hid it and pushed it away. We were friends, kind of. I recognized and accepted that for what it was." Eli smiled and scratched his head.

"What changed?"

"I thought I was going to go to prison for the rest of my life and she gave my abuela the only thing she'd ever wanted from me. I decided that if that was going to happen, then I would at least know what it felt like to kiss Veronica Mars."

"She told me you called her instead of a lawyer, that she gave you legal advice, and then left."/

"That's all true. I kissed her, she told me to plead down to assault, and then ran straight into the door. If the woman didn't absolutely terrify me, it would have been adorable." Eli chuckled at the memory.

"That explains the bruise and the fact that she didn't hear Lamb shouting for her as she left the station. This hasn't been going on since then?" Keith asked incredulously./

"No. For a while, the only evidence I had that it had even happened was that she called me by name, like I asked her too. It's a very strange thing when just the sound of your name brings you joy."

"I would never have pegged you as a romantic."

"It's not exactly common knowledge, not to mention it has gotten me into trouble."

"When you broke into the Kane house."

"Ya," Eli said, a shorter and quieter response than Keith expected.

"But I'm not here to talk about the Kanes, Lily or otherwise. What happened?" Keith said, both letting him off the hook and putting the conversation back on track.

"Logan happened,"

"I'm going to need you to be more specific,"

"She ran into me one night and was sure someone was following her. I don't have quite the intimidation presence that I used to, but I offered to stay with her until she was sure whoever it was was gone. After a few minutes, she spooks and runs off, though she didn't actually run into anything this time. As you know, someone was following her. Logan hired a bodyguard without telling her."

"They got back together after that."

"But do you know why they broke up the last time?"

"Once I found out that she broke up with him, I didn't think it was necessary."

"He violated her trust, in one of the few ways he knew she wouldn't forgive him. And she didn't. What she did do was show up sobbing on my doorstep."

"Why you?"

"It's a good question, and it's one I asked myself. To put it mildly, she wasn't exactly in a talking mood." Before Keith could murder him in the 10 ways he was currently thinking of, Eli continued, "Before you decide to kill me, you should know that nothing happened. My abuela would never allow it. Whatever you may think of me, Sherriff, I would never have taken advantage of her."

"And why not?"

"Because I didn't want to be just a regret in her life, and I'd done it before. Logan's a dog, but somehow they always go running back to him."

"What changed your mind?"

"She did. She trusted me and I believed her. Logan hurt her worse than he ever hurt Lily, and I figured that I had to trust her too. I believe you know the rest."/

"Why tell me all of this?"

"You already knew the worst of it. The least I could do was fill you in on the details."

It was at that moment that Veronica ran in.

"Well nobody's dead. That's a good sign," she said, trying to sound less winded than she felt. They hadn't been where she had expected, and she had run herself ragged looking for them.

"I came close a time or two," Keith said, but before Veronica could protest, he continued, talking to Eli, "I appreciate your directness and your honesty. I understand that people can change, and you do seem to genuinely care about by daughter, but you have to know I'll be watching you."

"I'd expect nothing less, Sherriff."

"If either of you end up in jail or I see Veronica with any tattoos they will never find your body. Do we understand each other?" Keith held out his hand and Eli took it. He then left as Veronica tried to pick her jaw up from the floor.

"Why didn't you run?" She asked.

"Cowards run."

"Curse your stubborn male pride. What did you tell him anyway?"

"The truth, or at least most of it. I don't think he was expecting that," he said, and she kissed him.  
"Now I have to go."

"Tease."

"Wallace just watched me run like a bat out of hell for no apparent reason. It's time I gave him an explanation."

"This oughta be good," Wallace said from behind her. Him and Mac had followed her. He looked confused whereas Mac just stood there smug.

"Something you wanna share with the class, Veronica?" she asked.

"Yes, I do." Veronica took Eli's hand.

"What, and I say this from the bottom of my heart, the heck?" Wallace asked.

"Wallace, let's go over here a moment," Veronica said.

"Let me," Eli said.

"What?"

"If I can handle your dad, let me handle this. There are a few things I need to say anyway."

"Ok," Veronica said. Eli and Wallace walked a few feet away, and she approached Mac.

"So, Bond, how exactly did you manage it?" Mac asked.

"I got an alert from Q and went out the bathroom window where I found out I'd been bugged by the enemy," Veronica said.

"And why is Logan the enemy?"

"He slept with Madison Sinclair." And that was all that needed to be said about that.


	9. Chapter 9

I swear I checked this when I posted it, but the formatting's gone wonky again. Feel free to point this out in the future.  
"How do you know about this place?" Veronica asked as were seated at an Italian restaurant, but not one she'd been to before.

"The owner and I go way back," Eli said.

"Is that so?"

"He used to date my sister. My parole officer approves."

"Relax, vato. I'm just messing with you. Don't be so jumpy."

He looked across the restaurant. "I'm about to get worse."

She followed his eyeline. Parker was there with, of all people, Logan.

"So do I get to order or do you and the owner have some sort of plan?"

"V, do you not see what I see?"

"If we ignore them, they may ignore us. Now answer the question."

"We order. No need for theatrics." It worked, for a while. That is, until Parker got up to leave.

"Veronica! Hi," Parker said.

"Parker. What are the odds?" Veronica asked.

"So Mac was right?"

"Yes. She's very intelligent. Parker, Eli. Eli, Parker."

"The rest of you guys know each other, right?"

"Weevil," Logan said.

"Echolls," Eli said.

"We all go way back," Veronica said as the testosterone in the room skyrocketed.

"The way Mac said it, I thought Weevil was your real name. Is it just a nickname?" Parker asked.

"It's more like a street name. You see, our boy Weevil here used to be the leader of a biker gang, until he was kicked out and then charged in the murder of his replacement," Logan said, smiling innocently but eyes dancing and voice loud.

"Which, weirdly enough, got Logan off the hook for the murder he was charged with," Veronica said, smiling just as innocently, eyes like steel.

"A Weevil is actually a beetle. They eat everything in their path and have a particularly good sense of smell. I got the nickname after smelling an explosive under one of the cars in my uncle's shop. And, if you're curious, neither of us were convicted of murder, courtesy of one Veronica Mars," Eli said calmly, smirking as he pointed to Veronica.

"These beetles, do they eat mostly leftovers, or is that just you?" Logan asked.

"Sorry to interrupt. We'll leave you to your dinner. Nice to see you, Veronica," Parker said, her eyes saying, 'I'm sorry.'

"Good to see you too, Parker," Veronica said, her eyes saying, 'thank you.'

"Well that was fun," Eli said after they left.

"That actually went better than I expected," Veronica said.

"What were you expecting?" Eli asked.

"Punching. You two like the punching." Even when they had to work together, they both derived a weird sort of pleasure from beating the absolute crap out of each other. They shared bruises like they were charms on a friendship bracelet.

The way he was looking at Veronica now betrayed none of that, like she amazed him or fascinated him. He didn't say anything. He just laughed. She wasn't wrong.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"Like I'm going to run. What about me makes you think I scare easy?

"I love you, V." He said it as easily as breathing, but it was like toothpaste. Now he had to see how she would handle it./

"You're a marshmallow, Eli Navarro."

"I know that's something you and Wallace say, but I have no idea what it means."

"It means I love you too, dummy." She kissed him across the table.

"Dummy?"

"I was feeling it. You wanna get out of here?"

"Not tonight. Tonight I prove to your dad that I can be a gentleman." She would have laughed if she didn't think he was serious.

"You say that like I'm a lady," she said, teasing him.

"V."

"Fine. Have it your way," she said. They paid and left.

In front of her door, he gave her a single kiss on her hand. Even that small touch sent sparks up her arm. "Goodnight, Veronica."

"Goodnight, Eli."

She walked in bouncing on her heels and smiling like an idiot.

"Was that performance out there for me?" Keith asked.

"Yes. He likes you. Watching him try to impress you is cute," Veronica said and started to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Who would have ever thought that I'd be the bad influence in this relationship?"


	10. Chapter 10

"I've been thinking about the FBI thing," Veronica said as her and Eli laid on his bed.

"You have to do it, V."

"Have to? The circumstances are shady at best. You know this,"

"So? You can get out of here and do something with your life. You have to take those kinds of opportunities when the universe screws up and gives them to you. Also, it's the government. You really think they're above a little bribery?"

"And plausible deniability. Now that you mention it, if the FBI were looking for a problem with me, then their cup will runneth over."/

"You mean like your ex-con of a boyfriend?"

"You do realize that you're just the one who got caught. Duncan kidnapped his daughter and fled the country and then he put out the hit on Aaron Echolls. Troy was a drug dealer that was also cheating on me, and then I cleared him of rape. Leo stole evidence and sold it to Logan, who erased it, leading to the acquittal of his father. Logan is Logan. Mac is practically a criminal mastermind. Then of course, there is me."/

"And we know what a gem you are."

"And all of this will most likely show up even if they're all as lazy as Lamb. Since they offered me it anyway, they obviously don't care."  
"So then it's settled. You're going."

"You tricked me." She sat up and threw a pillow at him."You love me." He got up with the old Weevil swagger.

"Sadly, this is true." She got up and kissed him. They kissed until the doorbell rang.

"And that is my niece."

"Crap. I was hoping to be gone before the other woman in your life got here."

"Stay. I know all the people in your life. It's about time you got to know some of the people in mine."/

She waited until after Eli's sister had left. There would be better times for that.

"Hi, Ophelia. I'm not sure if you remember me…"

"You're Veronica Mars. You're some kind of superhero. I was surprised that you didn't use your x-ray vision to find the box at the carnival."/

"I'm a little short on x-ray vision."

"Uncle Eli, is she coming to the zoo with us?"

"If you don't mind too much, principesa." Ophelia shook her head violently.

She wanted to see penguins. She also wanted cotton candy. She let go of Eli's hand to get her some but kept Veronica's in a vice grip.

"Do you love my uncle?"

"Yes, Ophelia, I do." Veronica knelt down as she said this.

"My mom, she worries about him. And I know what happens to people that a superhero loves." There was a seriousness and a maturity in her eyes that made her look older than 7.

"My nemesis isn't the kidnapping type. Don't worry."

"If you hurt him, you will have a new one."

"Noted." Veronica's phone rang. "Do you mind if I get that?" Ophelia shook her head. Eli came back as Veronica picked up the phone.

"Veronica? Where are you?" Keith asked.

"I'm being read the Riot Act by a seven-year-old." Eli raised an eyebrow. Keith laughed.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at the zoo. I'll send you a picture. Ophelia has a face full of blue cotton candy. Eli's preventing her from feeding it to the penguins."

"Sounds like fun. I'll see you later."

"You too." She hung up and took the picture. After she sent it to her dad, she made it the screensaver on her phone. It's amazing how some moments reveal people as they truly are, without the walls they show to the world.


	11. Chapter 11

"Hello, Eli. Veronica's not here," Keith said as he answered his door.  
"I know. She's with Mac and Parker, doing some pre-graduation nonsense," Eli said.

"It's amazing that they're all still friends."

"They're bonded over something far too important to break for anyone."

"Why do you sound like you know something I don't?"

"I plead the Fifth, Sheriff."

"I haven't been Sheriff for over half a decade. You've got to call me Keith. I figure we know each other well enough for that by now."/

"How about Sir?"

"That's fine, now enough changing the subject. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to talk to you, sir."

"Am I going to need to sit down for this?"

"Couldn't hurt."

After he made himself comfortable on the couch, Keith said, "Now enough stalling. Out with it."

"What did you have planned for graduation?" Keith raised an eyebrow, "I'm not stalling. This is important."

"I was planning some daddy-daughter time that night. You got off work, right?"

"I actually gave my two weeks' notice this morning."

"You're going with her to Virginia, aren't you?"

"Yes, and I want to do it right. That's why I'm here." Eli took a pause, "I want to ask Veronica to marry me."

"Sitting down was definitely the right choice."

"My abuela left this to me when she died," Eli said as he pulled a ring out of his pocket, "my sister still hasn't gotten over it, but my abuela was a smart one. I think she knew. Sir…"

"Eli, if you're going to be my son-in-law, you really have to call me Keith," Keith said as he stood up and stuck his hand out.

"Thank you, Keith," Eli said as he took it.

"Now when were you planning to do it?"

"Night after graduation. I have enough time to plan it that way."

"Sounds like you've got it all planned out." Eli just nodded. He could never have planned how his life had turned out, but he was going to do everything in his power to make sure he never lost it.


	12. Chapter 12

"What is going on, Eli?" Veronica asked as they walked into a restaurant she was reasonably assured was more than both of them could afford, especially since Eli had quit his job.

"What do you mean?" Eli asked with an almost physical nervous energy.

"My dad has been weepy all week. Openly. At first, I thought it was just me graduating and moving. He's going to be alone and he's not handling it well. But if that was it, he'd be hiding it better. Something else is going on."

"V, could you turn off that beautiful P.I. brain of yours for just a little bit?"

"You're in on it together. I know it. Just tell me."

"V." He sighed.

"I can't just turn it off. I can; however, stop asking."

"What am I going to do with you?"

"We're in public. I can't answer that." Veronica joked, but she observed odd things throughout their entire meal. Like the way the waiters were looking at them. Now, the waiters at nice restaurants, on the very rare occasion they were there together, always gave them strange looks. These were not those looks.

Before they ordered desert, he took her hand. "I wanted to be here tonight to celebrate you. You're a miracle I had become content to merely have at the edge of my life. I never imagined you'd become the center of it. At the end of so much and the beginning of a life, I wanted to take an opportunity to do something."

He knelt on the floor and took out the ring he'd showed to Keith. She didn't let him finish, she knelt down as well and kissed him./

"You have to let me finish.

"Don't tell me what to do."

"Marry me?"

"Now that I'll do."

He slipped the ring on her finger.

"We should probably get off the floor," Veronica said.

"I have several ideas where we could go," Eli said with a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes./"Not tonight. Tonight I get to show you off to my family and friends."

"Now that I think about it, I think your dad has it covered."

"I was right. You were both in on it."

"To be fair, I didn't know he was going to cry."

They didn't leave right away. One of the waiters Veronica had noticed earlier came up to congratulate them and gave them a complimentary desert. Neither of them was going to pass up free food and neither of them were in a hurry, to the point where they almost missed the little party Keith planned for them. They all promised to have a bigger one later. When they left Neptune, they should do it in style. 


	13. Chapter 13

"So I actually finished this. What do ya know? It has become increasingly clear to me how old-fashioned I am in wanting protagonists to have happy endings. Veronica didn't and isn't likely to get one, so here it is.

"Veronica Mars, why am I never surprised to see you when there's trouble?" Lamb asked as he walked into the hoopla taking place in Eli's yard.

"What do you want, Lamb? It's incredible rude to come to someone's engagement party without a gift," Veronica said.

"Your what?" Lamb asked, his original reason for coming forgotten. Veronica flashed her ring.

"Querida, what's going on?" Eli came up from behind her and kissed her neck.

"I think I broke him," Veronica motioned to Lamb, who stood stock still and speechless.

"I see that, but I'd like to take a little credit."

"I really think he'll miss us when we're gone. Where's my dad?"

"He's over by the grill arguing about something with my tio. Baseball, I think. Why?

"This may be the last time Lamb will get to see his three favorite people all together. Go get him, would you?" Eli was about to leave smirking when he and Veronica both saw a caravan of cars led by an ugly yellow jeep.

"V…"

"Juvenile little gremlins. I can handle this."

"Is that?"

"Logan must've lent Dick his car. According to Parker, he ran off and joined the military or something."

"As much as I'd love to comment on that, I think we have a bigger problem." Eli pointed to one of the vehicles where, perched like the Queen of Sheba, Madison Sinclair stood. "I can handle this."

"We are leaving here in a week and that is not going to involve you getting arrested. Now they are here for me and I will handle them. Law enforcement is even already here," she said and then turned to Lamb, "Now you're going to make up for not bringing us a present. That is, if you're ok with confronting your ex…how would you define that relationship?"

Eli protested before Lamb could get a word in, "You are not going with just him as backup."

"Of course not." Veronica whistled and Backup came bounding to her.

"Really? The dog is better backup than me?" Lamb asked.

"Obviously. Now are you coming, or have you completely forgotten how to do your job?" Veronica didn't give him time to answer. She just walked over to the caravan of 09ers.

"This is now the second time today that I've had to remind people that crashing someone's engagement party is very rude. If you leave right now, I won't have to sic my other party crasher on you and we can all have a nice day."/

"Oh, but Veronica, we all chipped in and got you the moon!" and at that Veronica saw more 09er than she had ever wanted to. She decided to respond on the same maturity level and flipped them off with her ring finger. Doing what they had come to do, they left./

"Now I think you can have some cake," Veronica said to Lamb as she walked back toward the party, "Come on."/

"I actually think that counts as indecent exposure," Lamb said, uncharacteristically uncomfortable, and then walked away.

Eli walked up to her then. "Did Lamb just act like a human?" he asked.

"I was going to say do his job, but act like a human works too."

Eli picked her up and spun her in the air. "Miracles happen every day, V."

She took a moment to look at the people gathered around her and think of what her life had become and was poised to become before she said, "I guess they do." She kissed him as he put her down.


End file.
